1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drains and other utility inlet or outlet type fixtures installed in concrete slabs or floors, and, more particularly, to a system for installing such fixtures using a coring adapter around which the slab is poured, the coring adapter including a mechanism for retaining the fixture to the coring adapter.
2. Description of Related Art
Drains or drain fixtures are installed in concrete slabs, such as concrete floors in warehouses, garages, basements, parking lots, commercial buildings, and residential buildings, to accept water or other liquids from the top surface of the floor and provide a means for such liquids to flow into an underlying drain pipe. The drain is typically funnel shaped, with a tapered upper portion or drain head and a lower stem adapted for connecting the drain to an adapter or extension member for a drain pipe projecting from the ground or substrate underlying the slab. The drain head includes a grate or strainer at an upper end thereof to prevent large pieces of debris from entering and clogging the drain pipe.
A typical prior art installation assembly includes a female threaded adapter or connector that is attached to a vertically extending drain pipe. A drain, drain assembly, or cleanout with a threaded lower section is threaded into the adapter. The height of the drain or drain assembly may be minimally adjusted up or down by threading the drain further into or out of the adapter.
Typically, drain adapters and associated drains are installed upon the drain pipe prior to pouring the surrounding concrete slab that typically provides the primary floor support surface. Ideally, the drain is installed at the proper height to allow for proper drainage and so that the grate will be flush with the finished floor surface. However, drain fixtures are subject to being damaged or infiltrated by concrete during pouring of the floor and subsequent construction of the building structure. Cleaning and repair of the fixture after completion of the project also requires considerable time.
Additional problems can arise when a layer of tile or other flooring material is installed over the concrete slab. In such instances, the drain is typically installed so that the top surfaces will extend above the level of the slab a distance equal to the thickness of the flooring. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the concrete slab to be mistakenly poured to the top of the drain instead of a specified lower level, thereby creating the need for further upward adjustment of the drain. Such adjustment is often not provided for by the drain adapter assembly.
Once the concrete is poured around the drain and has set, it is usually impossible to raise or lower the drain without chipping away the concrete surrounding the drain to provide clearance for lugs usually formed on the bottom of the drain head and to break the adhesion between the concrete and the drain head surface. Similarly, if the building owner later decides to add a layer of flooring over the slab or to substitute existing flooring with a thicker layer, it is usually impossible to raise the drains to the higher level without first chipping or breaking away the concrete from around the drain head.
One solution to the above-mentioned problems has been provided by U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,512 (hereinafter “the '512 patent”), issued on Jun. 15, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The '512 patent discloses a floor drain installation system that includes an adapter attached to a drain pipe projecting from the ground, a coring sleeve having a bowl-shaped upper end attached to or integral with the adapter, and a coring plug received within the bowl of the coring sleeve to close off the drain pipe during pouring of a concrete floor and to create space for subsequent reception of a drain head and grate. One drawback to the system disclosed in the '512 patent is that in making the drain head easily adjustable with respect to the poured slab and the finished floor, the drain head has also been made easily removable by vandals or thieves searching for scrap metal in an incomplete or unoccupied installation.